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How 

to Dress 

Poultry 

4 ■ by 

S. V. Thomas 



Published by the 

PHILADELPHIA 

PRINTING AND PUBLISHING 

COMPANY 



Copyrighted, 1904, by T. V. Stapler. 



3 « ; ' 



BRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 
JUN 17 1904 
Cooyrleht Entry 

LASg^ <*- XXo. No. 

?' 4. H- ^ 

COPY B 



Introduction f^ /f ^ 

_ There are two sides to Poultry Culture — 
one — the show room, the other, the table. 

It is impossible to tell which is the most 
important, and a man in the business 
should be well informed upon the prepar- 
ation of the fowl for both if he desires to 
realize the greatest financial success. 

Every month the Poultry Journals are 
teeming with articles upon *' How to Raise 
Poultry," *' Birds for the Show Room/^ 
and "How to Make Hens Lay," but few 
ever go so far as to tell "How to Dress 
Poultry." 

This is a mistake, and we, therefore, en- 
deavor to furnish this much needed infor- 
mation in as few words as possible 
through this little booklet. 

For every bird that takes a prize there 
are io,ooo only valuable as market stock, 
and as the average man goes into the 
business to make money, and does not 
even expect to show his birds he should 
be given instructions which will prepare 




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him for meeting the market's demands 
and enable him to conquer the proposition 
of satisfactory sale, by sending stock so 
nicely handled that there will be a con- 
stant call for Poultry dressed by him. 

An expert dresser can cover "a multi- 
tude of sins" by the proper handling of 
the fowl, and while careful breeding, feed- 
ing and fattening are so essential they 
become imperative, the finishing touch, 
— the killing and dressing, — is no less a 
factor by comparison. 

I can sight, for example, the fact that 
the writer once bought some 240 live tur- 
keys just arrived from the South, red from 
being over-heated and thin from under- 
feeding, at an average price of 1 1 cents per 
pound and, after dressing, sold them, with 
the exception of two barrels, for 18 cents 
per pound, while other stock which was 
standing beside it and had been carefully 
fattened for months sold for i^ cents. 

That difference meant considerable in 
profit and was only obtainable because 
the birds had been treated with the great- 
est care. 



How to Feed. 



It is not our intention to tell what are 
the best feeds for fattening purposes, but 
to instruct upon the last one just before 
killing. 

The aim is to have plenty in the fowl, 
but none in crop; to give added weight 
to the bird, yet to prevent the feed from 
showing. 

A buyer never likes to think he is pay- 
ing poultry prices for grain, and, therefore, 
a full crop not only hurts the appearance 
of the bird, but materially reduces its mar- 
ket value as well. 

A first-class ration for the last feeding 
is: — cracked corn or coarse corn meal, 
mixed with clean sand, and the whole 
moistened sufficiently to hold the combi- 
nation together. The sand will assure 
quick digestion and increased weight, and, 
12 hours after eating, a healthy fowl 
should not show a sign of this feed. 

Another extreme which should be as 
carefully guarded against as overfeeding 



is — do not allow the fowl to become 
gaunt and starved for want of food. 12 
hours before killing, every bird should 
have all it will eat, but no water to drink. 
In fact, a fowl should have very little to 
drink within 18 hours of the time of dress- 
ing. The food will remain much longer 
in the body if not flooded. 

There is one more caution which must 
be remembered — if you are forced to catch 
and coop the birds the night before kill- 
ing, do not crowd them. Give them plenty 
of room to rest comfortably, and permit 
the air to circulate about them freely 
Oiherwise, they will become overheated 
— almost steamed— and when dressed 
will have a red cast which is both detri- 
mental to their appearance and their sale. 

Give the birds plenty of room and air 
— plenty of quickly-digesting food 1 2 hours 
before killing — no water to drink within 
that time, and, when they come from the 
dresser's hands, if he has studied the fol- 
lowing instructions, they will be ideal in 
appearance and command the highest 
market price. 




STICKING THE FOWL. 
Notice the position of the left hand, and how knife is held— also how 
closely the feathers lie against the body. 



Dressing Turkeys and 
Chickens 



To begin at the beginning — we will as- 
sume that you have a plump Chicken or 
Turkey ready for the knife, and, as it will 
be better to make it a little more explicit 
we will say Chicken (Springer or Fowl), — 
for all are handled in much the same 
manner. 

Attach a stout cord, with the noose at 
the loose end, to a beam in such a posi- 
tion that the bird, in struggling will not be 
able to strike itself against any obstacle — 
then hold its feet together — thrust them 
through the loop — see that they are held 
securely, and that the head of the bird is 
about opposite the waist line, or a little 
below. 

Now take hold of the wings and lock 
them — this can be done by bringing one 




STRIKING THE BRAIN. 
Position of hands is much the same as when sticking. Notice how loose 
the feathers appear. This is a first-ciass "stick." The photo shows how 
wings are locked and kept out of the way 



over the other and catching the tip of the 
upper wing under that of the lower. This 
will make it impossible for the bird to ex- 
tricate itself and will allow the dresser free 
use of both hands. 

Then in the left hand grasp the head 
firmly and force the bill open by the use 
of the thumb and middle finger. After 
you have a secure hold, thrust the blade 
down the throat just behind the head and 
draw it across, with the point slipping 
along the neck— or back-bone. 

This will sever the jugularvein and insure 
a good " stick." Now withdraw the knife 
and allow the bird to bleed for a few mo- 
ments, then place the point of the knife 
against the roof of the mouth with the 
cutting edge toward the left hand and force 
it through the membrane into the brain 
cavity, — turn it three quarters of the way 
round, twisting the wrist in the natural 
way, and then draw the blade directly 




FIFTEEN SECONDS AFTER. 
Notice how dresser has removed all the large feathers from the most sen- 
sitive parts of the fowl in this short time. Speed counts here, and is 
all-important. Bird is steadied by holding wings in left hand. 



across the base of the brain, thus severing 
the spinal cord and thereby destroying the 
control which, in life, the bird has over its 
feathers. 

With a few trials this method will be- 
come quite easy and you will tlnd the 
feathers almost ready to drop off. 

As soon as the brain has been pierced, 
the dresser should turn the knife into the 
skin of the lower bill and make a hole 
through which a hook suspending a weight 
of some kind should be hung (a horse 
shoe, attached to a piece of strong wire, is 
excellent), — this keeps the neck extended 
and assures of a thorough bleeding, which 
is all important. 

After this operation quickly rub the 
hand down the neck, removing the feath- 
ers therefrom, then pull the tail and wing 
feathers by a quick, firm twist and begin 
to remove those from the tenderest parts 
of the body, which on the Chicken are the 




HOW TO SCALD. 

Do not misconstrue this photo. Chickens, unless feathers "set" too 
quickly, should NEVER be dipped. This is merely to show how a Duck or 
Goose should be held to prevent the injuring of their appearance by cooking 
the head and legs. 



breast, and back near the base of the tail, 
and on the Turkey the breast and thigh. 

Never use the finger nails to pick pro- 
miscuously—the side of the fore-finger 
and end of the thumb are far quicker and 
will not scratch. When pulling the short, 
or pin feathers, the nails will have to come 
into play, but great care should be used 
that only a careful, clean pluck is made— 
not a scratch or scrape. 

By the time the body is finished the 
bird will be so nearly dead that flapping 
will be almost impossible, so the wings 
can be unlocked and picked clean. 

it is not necessary to remove the point 
feathers. N early every house-wife values 
the Turkey's for brushes and does not 
mind paying for the slight additional weight, 
while the Chicken's may be cut off at the 
outer joint and not affect the sale of the 
bird in the least,— thus saving considerable 
time and disagreeable work. 



Dressing Ducks and Geese. 

The same directions given for killing 
Chickens and Turkeys can be followed 
when dressing Ducks and Geese, or rather 
that part pertaining to the removal of the 
larger feathers. 

Ducks and Geese, stuck by the method 
herein shown, will lose control of their 
feathers as quickly and as well as will a 
Fowl, and can be almost as easily roughed. 
(Roughing means the removing of the 
coarser feathers). 

However, after all these have been 
plucked, the birds should be dipped in hot 
water for a few moments and then wrapped 
in a towel or clean bag to steam — after 
which the remaining feathers can be easily 
rubbed off. 

By drypicking a Duck or Goose the 
feathers are in a much better condition for 
drying and will last longer than ones par- 
boiled by the old-fashioned, needless scald- 
ing methods, while the birds will retain 
their bright, clean appearance much longer 
than usual. 



Scalding. 



There is one maxim which must, at all 
times, be regarded when poultry is being 
dressed for market and that is, — NEVER 
SCALD Chickens or Turkeys, nor Ducks 
and Geese before they have been roughed. 

When exposed to the air a scalded fowl 
shows every scratch upon it and soon 
looks stale and unattractive. Scalding takes 
from the selling value at least two cents 
per pound and is absolutely unnecessary. 

Remember, — There is nothing to be 
gained by scalding — for a fowl stuck ac- 
cording to the methods herein explained 
can be dressed much quicker than one 
dipped in hot water — the hands will not 
be softened and cracked by the changes 
of heat and cold nor will you be forced to 
accept a considerable reduction in the 
prices realized. 

But there are times — especially before 
you become master of these instructions, 
that the bird's brain will not be pierced 
properly or you will be a moment too slow 



in beginning to pick, at which times the 
feathers will "set" and the only alterna- 
tive will be the dipping pot. 

When this is found necessary melt a 
little rosin in the water, and hold the birds 
in only long enough for the water to pene- 
trate through the feathers into the flesh. 
This should also be done when you desire 
to remove the small feathers of Ducks and 
Geese. 

Never allow the head or legs to be 
touched by the water, for it takes all the 
color out of the former and leaves the 
latter raw and anything but attractive. 
Catch the bird by the head and legs— dip 
it in the water two or three times, — then 
pick quickly and do not rub any more 
than absolutely necessary. 

Use these birds for home consumption 
or pack them in a box by themselves so 
they may be sold separately and thereby 
not affect the sale of the dry picked ones. 

The rosin in the water toughens the 
outer skin and assists it in withstanding 
the rubbing it necessarily receives. 



Cooling. 



Now we come to a VERY important part 
of poultry handling — the proper method 
of cooling. 

Many persons believe the best thing for 
them to do is to ship the birds as soon 
after being killed as possible — while, in 
fact, nothing can be more hurtful to their 
sale. 

After a Turkey has been dressed it 
should be removed to a cool place where 
it can hang for at least ten to twelve hours. 
It should never be dipped in water or be 
allowed to touch anything else while the 
animal heat is leaving the body. 

Chickens, Ducks and Geese should be 
immersed in a tub of water as soon as all 
the feathers have been removed and al- 
lowed to remain therein for an hour or 
two — this will plump them, and in the 



case of the Chicken, will make it look 
bright and clean by removing the scruff. 

After they have remained in the water 
some time they should be hung up in the 
same manner as the Turkey, where they 
can drain and cool thoroughly, which will 
require from six to ten hours. 

POINTS TO BE REMEMBERED. 

Never plump a Turkey. 

Always plump a Chicken, Duck 
or Goose. 

Allo"w them to hang until every 
muscle is rigidly set. 

Never allow^ them to touch each 
other or anything -which -will pre- 
vent the free action of the air 
around them. 

Never pack as long as one drop 
of ^vater or one degree of animal 
heat remains in their bodies. 



Packing. 



When the birds have become thorough- 
ly cooled — give all your attention to the 
packing. Attractive appearance is half the 
battle when the time comes to sell and the 
cases, or barrels, must be packed carefully, 
if you wish to insure safe transportation. 

There is one thing which must be 
guarded against and that is— straw or hay 
must NEVER be placed between ihe birds. 

A fat man once said, after he had slept 
upon a spring bed instead of a mattress, 
that, — " It had designs on him which were 
worse than useless, — they were down- 
right hurtful " So it is with poultry — 
every straw cuts into the fat and, when 
removed from the barrel, their appearance 
is hurt and therefore their value. For 
poultry is sold upon appearances, always. 



The best way is to spread a bunch of 
straw or hay upon the bottom of the box 
or barrel — over this a layer of strong paper, 
then start to pack. Fill every available 
space, protecting the tender skin wherever 
possible and when the package is full 
spread another sheet of paper over the top 
of the poultry and some straw between it 
and the lid. 

See that the package is strong — well 
packed and securely closed and you need 
have no fear of the way the stock will 
carry. 

A barrel is generally preferable if you 
can fill it full, for it is easier to pack and 
contains much less waste space than a box, 
and is, also, much easier to handle. 

In warm weather always ship by ex- 
press — In cold — the freights may be used 
providing you allow plenty of time for de- 
livery when you are desirous of reaching 
the city in time for a certain market. 




Shipping. 



The foregoing directions have been 
written with the intention of giving explicit 
information in as few words as possible, 
the desire having been to make them clear 
and not so complicated that they will 
confuse. 

Some markets can sell birds only when 
drawn and head and feet removed, while 
others call for them entact. As you know 
the demands of your market, and as these 
specitlcations do not change the method of 
dressing in the least, this point is unnec- 
essary in a treatise upon the proper killing 
of the poultry. 

Do not expect to master the art in a day. 
It requires weeks to become really profic- 
ient, but you will soon notice an increase 
in speed and an improvement in the ap- 
pearance of the dressed birds if you follow 
as closely as possible the lines laid down. 



One chapter is no less important than 
the other, though that upon Killing and 
Dressing is valuable. No less so are the 
ones on Cooling and Packing. They all 
tend toward increasing the attractive ap- 
pearance of the bird, and, therefore, should 
not be slighted. 

Remember, ^o per cent, of the selling 
points of a package of poultry is its appear- 
ance, and that a thin bird properly dressed 
will bring more money than a fat one 
poorly handled. 

There is one point, however, which has 
not been touched upon, and that is,WHEN 
TO SHIP. 

If you have any large, fat fowls — 
Chickens — which you wish to dispose of, 
they should be shipped alive in the fore 
part of September. 

The New Year of the Jews begins the 
early part of that month, and, as they buy 
only live birds and desire to use the fat 



for cooking, they will pay more for them 
alive than you can get for the same ones 
dressed at that or any other time. Live 
Geese and Ducks also sell well at this 
time, for their fat is much in demand. 

After this holiday the next is Thanks- 
giving. This market demands small birds. 
Chickens, Ducks and Geese are in good 
demand, while Turkeys are wanted, if not 
too large. Save your Toms for Christmas, 
and kill your fat Hens and young birds — 
in fact, anything that weighs less than i8 
pounds. Then comes Christmas. This 
is the Turkey market — nothing can be too 
large, if you possibly can, get your old 
Toms and large birds fat for this market. 
All kinds of good poultry are wanted, and, 
while there are times when poor stock is 
a drug upon the market, the time was 
never known when fat, nicely handled 
birds would not sell readily and bring fair 
prices. 



After Christmas small Turkeys will sell 
well. There is scarcely a time in the year 
when Ducks and Chickens are not in de- 
mand, and Geese will sell to a good advan- 
tage all through the winter, if fat and not 
too large. 

If you will do your part and select a 
thoroughly reliable firm to handle your 
goods, you may rely upon their doing all 
they can to give satisfactory returns- 
good birds are too scarce and careful 
shippers too few to run the risk of losing 
the sale of the former and the patronage 
of the latter by any high-handed robbery. 

The man who sells is often blamed by 
the one who deserves the censure, and 
the profit which should be realized by the 
grower and the reasonable one which the 
seller deserves is materially decreased by 
carelessness much oftener than by dis- 
honesty. 



We Recommend 

The IDEAL 



Poultry Knife 

to our readers, because, to our knowledge, it is 
the first pra(5tical knife for the purpose ever 
placed upon the market. 

To insure a positive and effecSlive ** stick" 
the handle must be large enough to allow a firm 
grip without causing a strain upon the wrist and 
arm ; the blade must be strong, rigid, made of the 
best hand-forged steel, able to withstand hard 
usage, and to hold an edge indefinitely. 

As the IDEAL covers all these points, we 
have secured a supply for our customers and will 
forward one by mail to any address upon receipt 
of 50 cents in stamps. 

Philadelphia Printing and Publishing Co. 
640 Witherspoon Building, Phila. 



W^e have but a limited supply of these knives, and we 
would advise you to send now and pra<5\ice with the knife this 
summer. 



